Water-wheel.



No. 658,297. Patented Sept. l8, I900. J. W. TAYLOR.

WATER WHEEL.

[Application filed Nov. 10, 1899.)

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(No Model.)

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No. 658,297. Patented Sept. l8, I900. .1. w. TAYLOR.

WATER WHEEL.

(Application filed Nov. 10, 1899.) (No Model.) 4 $heets-8h6et 2.

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No. 658,297. Patented Sept. l8, I900:

.1. w. TAYLOR.

WATER WHEEL.

(Application filed Nov. 10, 1899.)

(No Model.) 4 sham-sheet a A 77'0HNEYS No. 658,297. Patented Sept. [8,I900.

J. W. TAYLOR.

WATER WHEEL.

(Application filed Nov. 10, 1899.) (No Model.) 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN WILLIAMS TAYLOR, OF ATLANTA, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE TAYLORMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA.

WATER-WH EEL.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 658,297, dated September18, 1900. Application filed November 10, 1899. Serial No. 736,468. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN WILLIAMS TAY- LOB, residing at Atlanta, in thecounty of Fulton and State of Georgia, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Water- Wheels, of which the following is a specification.

It is the object of my invention to provide several importantimprovements in the class of turbine water-wheels.

I have a pending application for Letters Patent for a vertical wheel,filed September 24, 1898, Serial No. 691,809, in which certain novelfeatures of construction, arrangement, and combination of parts aredescribed and claimed. My present invention is a horizontal turbine; butsome features of it are applicable as well to vertical ones.

My improvements pertain more particularly to gates which are madesensitive and easy working and so arranged exteriorly to the wheel andchute-box and so supported as to work without friction and wear with theparts the gates inclose; also, to a construction and arrangement ofparts for oper-' ating the gate simultaneously in opposite di-'rections, lengthwise of the chute-boxes, and wheels proper. These andother features of invention are hereinafter set forth and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is mainly a side view and in parta section of a horizontal double Wheel embodying my improvements. Fig. 2is a vertical central sec tion of the wheel. Fig. 3 is a side view ofone of the duplicate sections or halves of the double wheel. Fig. 4 isan enlarged transverse section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a sideview of a modification of the gate-adjusting mechanism. Fig. 6 is an endview of the same. Fig. 7 is a side view showing a single gate applied toone of a pair of wheels keyed on the same shaft. Fig. 8 shows amodification of the construction of the wheelchamber. 7

Referring now to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 indicates the vertical portion of afiume, and 2 its enlarged cylindrical portion, which surrounds thechute-box 3, the double wheel proper, 4, and its two sleeve-gates 5. Thequarterturns or curved draft-tubes 6 conduct water from the wheels inopposite directions. The wheel proper is formed of two like parts, onebeing shown in Fig. 3, which are provided with flat heads 7, that arebolted together, as shown in Fig. 2, to form a double or composite wheelwhose blades or buckets project horizontally in opposite directions orfrom each other. This double wheel 4 has thus a central radial rib 4:(see Fig. 2) at the middle, and its hubs 9 are keyed on the axle 10. Theblades of each wheel 4 are joined and braced near their outer or freeends by an encircling band 11. The middle portion of the double wheel 4is surrounded by the circular chute-box 3, which is also double, eachpart being formed of a series of parallel horizontal guides consistingof thin bars united at each end to rings that are bolted together and tothe inner ends of the cylinder 12, forming the casing of the outer ordischarge end of the runner. It is obvious that the water passes fromthe fiume-box 2, between the guides of the chute-box 3, upon therespective halves of the wheel 4, the double rib 3* of the chuteboxserving as a'divider of the two currents that flow in oppositedirections into the quarter-turns. The central flange of the doublewheel is within and alinedwith the concentric annular rib 3 of thechute-box, so that both serve to divide and guide the Water upon the twosets of blades. The cylinder 12 fits loosely around the entire portionof the blades or buckets which project horizontally beyond the chute-box3. Thus the cylinder 12 retains the Water upon the wheel 4 untildischarged from both,-a feature essential to the highest efficiency ofthe wheel as distinguished from mere speed. The cylinder has animportant relation to a sleeve-gate sliding outside a runner, forwithout it the gate would come in contact with the base-ring and thegate could not open. The dome used on wheels having cylinder-gatesarranged inside is not required. The said cylinder 12 has aright-angular or radial base-flange 12", which is made separate from andbolted to the adjacent quarterturn 6; but in some cases, forsake ofeconomy and solidity of construction, I cast the two parts solid or inone piece, as shown in Fig. 8. It will be noted the quarter-turn 6 has amuch greater diameter than the cylinder 12,

so that upon the water leaving the latter it finds ample space for freeescape or delivery. The wheel-bands 11 areinclosed by the cylinders 12,as shown in Fig. 2, and abut the inner flanged ends of the same.

Two sleeve-gates 5 are employed, the same being duplicates and eachencircling one of the halves of the double wheel 4 and a correspondingsection of the double chute-box 3. These gates 5 are movedsimultaneously from and toward each other to allow access of water tothe wheel proper, 4, or shut it off therefrom, as may be required. Themeans for effecting this adjustment will be presentiy described. Eachsleeve-gate 5 is constructed in halves or of two like semicircularparts, Fig. 3, whose heads are bolted together, as shown in Fig. 4. Thegates are shown provided with inwardly-projecting lips or flanges 5,that work between the chute-bars; but this feature is unimportant. Eachgate slides upon an alined chute-box 3 and cylinder 12 lengthwisethereof. When moved outward or toward the flume-head, it allows inflowof water upon the inner end of the runner 4 and is closed and shuts ofithe water when moved in the opposite direction. When moved outward, thegates are practically housed in annular chambers 13, (see Fig. 2,) whichare formed by the concentric arrangement of the horizontal base-flanges1 of the Hume-section 1 with the cylinders 12. It will be seen that thepressure of inflowing water upon the gates is thus relieved to aconsiderable degree.

Two rods 14 are attached to each gate 5 at opposite points, the samebeing secured between the gate -fianges 5", Fig. 4, by means of the samebolts 15 that hold the gate-sections together. As shown in Figs. 1 and2, these rods 14 are connected in pairs to blocks or crossheads 16, thatslide in horizontal guides 17, arranged one above another. Saidcross-heads 16 are connected by rods 18 with the opposite radial arms 19of a rock-shaft 20, upon which are mounted sector-gears 21, that projectinopposite directions and engage opposite rack push-bars 22. The latterare in turn attached to the rods 23 of pistons (not shown) working incylinders 24, constituting part of an automatic governor, whoseconstruction and operation require no particular description here. It isapparent that if one of the governors operates to push a rackbar 22 ineither direction the rock-shaft will be rotated in turn and its radialarms 19 thereby caused to slide the two sets of gaterods 14 in oppositedirections,with the efiect of opening or closing the two gates 5simultaneously to a greater or less extent, and thus admitting waterupon the center of the wheel, beginning at the heads of the buckets.

The sector-gears 21, rack-bars 22, and the governors are shownduplicated by dotted lines, Fig. 2, to illustrate a difference oflocation that may be availed of as conditions require.

It is an important fcatu re that the gates 5 are so supported and guidedin their opening and closing movements as to be quite independent of therunner 4 and have no bearing upon or friction with the chute-box 3, sothat they may be operated with maximum ease and without wear ofthemselves or inclosed and adjacent parts. To this end I provide thatthe adj listing-rods 14 shall work in fixed guides in such manner as tosupport the gates and hold them concentrically true with theintermediate chambers 12. As shown in Fig. 1, the gate-rods 14 work instuffing-box guides 25, fixed in the quarter-turns 6, also in guides 26,fixed to the flume-heads or flanges 12 of the intermediate chambers 12.Two rods 14 also project inwardly beyond one of the gates 5 and work inguides 28, fixed on the radial double-rib 3 of the chute box 3, while.the other two rods extend beyond the other gate and work in guides 29,fixed on the adjacent fiume-head 12.

I show in Figs. 5 and 6 a difierentarrange ment of apparatus foroperating gate-adjusting rods by hydraulic pressure, the pistonrod of ahydraulic cylinder 31 operating a crank-arm 32, attached to rock-shaft20.

In some cases the gate'adjusting rods 18 will not pass through thequarter-turns 6, but be arranged exterior thereto. In such contingencythe rods may work in exterior guides, as shown in Fig. 7. Thisconstruction is adapted to a single wheel or a pair of wheels arrangedadjacently and operated by the same shaft.

In Fig. 2 I show an end-thrust bearing for the runner shaft 10. Thelatter passes through a wooden block 32, and a cap 33 is applied to theinner end of the same to exclude water to a certain extent. A corrugatedbearing-block 34 is secured on the shaft and runs in a correspondinglycorrugated or grooved block 35, fixed in surrounding casing. Between theWooden block 32 and corrugated ones 34' 35 is arranged a loose flange36, as shown. This end-thrust bearing is very essential for singlewheels working on a horizontal shaft and also in the case of two wheelskeyed on the same shaft, since it is often necessary to close the gateon one wheel and let the other do the labor.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is i 1. The combination, with a water-wheel and achute-box, of a gate surrounding the same, slidable rods attached to thegate, and bearings for said rods which are arranged on the inner andouter ends of the gate, whereby the latter is supported and operatedsubstantially as shown and described.

2. The combination,with awater-wheel, or runner, a chute-box arrangedhorizontally, an annular gate made in halves surrounding said chute-boxand adapted to slide lengthwise of the same, of horizontal rods attachedto and suspending the gate, being connected tached to split gate by lugsjoining same, bearings for said rods which are affixed exteriorly'on theHume-heads and the crownplate of the chute-box for supporting the gatesand sliding them simultaneouslyin opposite directions, longitudinally ofthe chuteboxes, substantially as shown and described.

JOHN WILLIAMS TAYLOR.

Witnesses:

E. H. THORNTON, W. F. MAURY.

